digital writingbestpracticesformarketers

Digital Writing Best Practices for Marketers

In collaboration with Marketing Profs, Writing Boot Camp Program

Strive to create an emotional connection

Write for the reader,the customer, the consumer

Whatever the messaging (B2C or B2B, online or off) there’s still a person on the other end

H2H: Human to Human

Marketing in the digital world requires a focus on readers/site visitors as people

Sell your servicesHave people choose you for the service they need

Inform the world aboutAnswer people's questions about X, Y, Z

Get subscriptions for your stuffHave people feel so engaged with you that they subscribe to your stuff

As traditional/paper marketers, we pushed

As digital marketers, we pull

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Technology’s Marketing Evolution: Creating the Ever-More Targeted Opportunity

The Masses

The Market

The Segment

The One

Marketing in the Digital Space

People scan first, read second

2-way conversation

Newsworthiness, frequency, and keeping CURRENT

Short, tight, heads & subheads rule• Bullets & hyperlinks for more• Whitespace

Foragers abound• Different social channels, different formats• Consumption is conversation• Deliver appropriately: bite, snack, meal

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Write right, in the right place

– Email/Eblast– Newsletter– Website– Blog– Cross Pollination

Email/Eblast

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Email: AttentionInterestDesireAction

Subject lines• Offer tasty link bait (“I have to click!”)• Keep it to 40-60 (trimmed automatically; first 30 chars

count the most)• Get to the point: scan-able, lead with urgency,

evocative, #s, ?s or benefit • Maintain credibility (repeat company name)• Test and learn, split your list to determine best open and

CTRs

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Email headlines/subheads• Capture attention, compliment the subject line• Include benefit, scan-able• Optimize keywords, improve tracking

Images aid conversion and brand building• Some results show images on the left side pull better

than on the right—try a test• Top 2” of email• Reinforce your message, don’t detract from it

Alt attributes for non-display• Disclose what’s behind the box• Use alt text: Logo name, picture description, etc.• Don’t lose customers just because they can’t see

graphics

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Content/body• 2-5 seconds to incent action• First paragraph/above the fold provide the advantage/the

offer in actionable language• Don’t sell twice, bullets/hyperlinks for more (bite/snack)• Short, concise emails perform best

– 200 words max, 100 preferred, whitespace is key– Cut from 170 to 95 words delivered a 16% higher CTR

• Personalization– Use recipient’s name, show you care, build trust– “You” not “we” (it’s about the reader)

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Primary CTA above the fold• What/why /how rule: What they should do, why it’s worth

clicking, how they do it Specificity• One CTA, clear single goal in text link form• “Register,” “Buy now,” “Download,” “Learn more”• Provide share options for offers (Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.)Get opt-in, permission• Ask readers to add to their address books• Remove them immediately if they request opt-out

Newsletter

NewsletterPermission & Removal• Collect when you connect• Remove unsubscribed addresses immediately

Promote• Offer link on every page of your website, at events/meetings, invite

customers and prospects to sign up• Ask to “pass along” or “share”

Encourage sign up• Use your Facebook page (and other outlets) to tout• Reward sign ups with a discount or a white paper

Be Relevant• Share what you know: it’s about what they want to read, not what you

want to write• Engage, don’t sell

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Newsletter: Delivery/Coding

From field should be recognizable, reveal brand name

Automated with personalization gets more response

Alt attributes for images—disclose what’s behind the box

Make subject lines work• Lead with odd #, benefit, announcement,

provocative/interest, entice with question or mystery• All recipients are not the same: test a few to see which

generate higher open rates

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Newsletter: Design for the Preview Pane

The reader’s eye goes to the top right 2-3 inches • If you have placed mostly images in that area, readers

will not see any of the content/key phrases they are looking for

• The preview pane area is the teaser area—give them a reason to scroll

Above the fold• A TOC is good practice• Usability studies show most people won't look beyond

the first screen of information if there's not something immediately interesting to them

• Is there an offer? Place it as high on the page as design allows—you want to create engagement/activation

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Newsletter: Content/Body

Short, tight (bite, snack)• Hyperlinks for more (meal)

2-5 seconds to get reader’s attention• Scanable—79% scan for what interests them• Use verbs, actionable language Engage & entice• Write a series of articles that build one upon another• At the conclusion of each one, include a ’teaser’

promoting what comes next Consistent content, features & format = expected rhythm

Website

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Website

Your business

goals

Your visitor’s goals

Successful web

content

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Website: Design for your visitor’s realities

Capture the marketing moment—what are they asking and are you answering it?

Respect the visitor’s time, average page visit lasts >1 minute

Page copy• Talk to them (not at them or about you) in their language—

focus on the buyer• No feature dumping– romance benefits as solutions

Best practice: 200-500 words per page

CTA and sign up/opt-in pages• place prompts throughout site: sign up, share this, get in

touch, download this, etc.• Reinforce their perception of you: establish credibility, social

proof

Website Dos

Simplify View & Navigation• Make it easy to find what

visitors are looking for; good design, good technology

Provide conversation; web content is what you’d say if visitor was across the table• Friendly, accommodate needs,

focus on them • Take every chance to get a

click/get them to take action

Know your customer• Diff voices for diff visitors• Diff info for diff visitors

No load/browser issues• Ensure seamless experience• Be mobile friendly

Site should not stop the conversation • No dead end pages• Don’t muddle the message—

get them to take action

No content mullets• Remove or archive outdated

articles, pages, etc.

Website Don’ts

Blog Basics

How to begin• Troll other blogs, industry news, best practices• Form your opinion; post • Join the conversations of others; establish presence in community• Continue the conversation—respond to posts made to your blog, as well as

comments made on others

Be regular--not redundant• Select topics that peak interest and encourage repeat visits• Set your feeds to deliver relevant content• What they want to read, not what you want to write• Write like you talk, H2H

Make subscribing easy• Subscription management tools & plug-ins

Optimize Exposure by Cross-Pollinating

White Paper/ebook

• Segment or use excerpts as newsletter features

• Divide into a blog series• Blow out chapters into

deeper explorations of the particular subject

• Post engaging questions on LinkedIn/Facebook about subject matter to start a discussion

Blog Posts

• Aggregate related blog posts and turn them into an ebook

• Create a video about the subject matter and link that back to the blog post

• Post engaging questions on LinkedIn/Facebook about subject matter to start a discussion

Case Studies

• Turn written/paper testimonials into video versions

• Post on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+

• Tweet or post a relevant stat from the case study and link back

• Offer as thought leadership in email series

Repurpose Your Content with a Purpose

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